Ivory Coast, SA out to stamp early authority

Fortebet ODD

IVORY COAST - SOUTH AFRICA
2.15 3.25 3.80

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Cairo. The Ivory Coast Elephants slump in form will encourage South Africa’s Bafana Bafana when the two sides clash in a Group D match at El Salam Stadium Cairo this afternoon.
The winner of the match will certainly fancy their chances of progressing. The other group favourites Morocco opened their campaign against Namibia yesterday.

A win for either Ivory Coast or South Africa would boost their chances of progressing while a stalemate will complicate the progress for either side, the four third-best teams advancing to the Round of 16 notwithstanding.

The Elephants local coach, Ibrahim Kamara, wants to celebrate his one year on the job with a win.
Both teams have met twice with Bafana Bafana winning one and the other one ending in draw. The two are in rebuilding process which makes the game even more balanced.
With the retirement of Didier Drogba, the surprise dropping of Gervinho, now focus Kamara will turn to the 24-year-old Nicolas Pepe, who has terrorized defences in France Ligue 1 in the just concluded season.

Kamara will also call on Tottenham defender Serge Aurier who has taken over as the captain, Wilfried Zaha, Jean-Michael Seri, Franck Kessie and Wydad Casablanca defender Cheick Comara.
His counterpart, Stuart Baxter of Bafana Bafana, does not have that luxury but has built a team around the skillful and silky Percy Tau, who made sure the team is here in Morocco when he scored twice against Libya in the final qualify.

Tau was named Proximus League Player of the Season award in Belgium, and is expected to be partnered by Lebo Mothiba, who scored 11 goals Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, helping them win the Coupe de la Ligue.
South Africa have mastered the art of playing well against big teams. A win for Bafana will set them take on Namibia in the Cosafa derby on June 28.
Baxter has mastered the ability not to lose, the last competitive Bafana Bafana defeat was in 2017.

Today’s fixtures

Ivory Coast vs South Africa (SS7, 5.30 pm
Tunisia vs Angola (SS7, 8 pm LIVE)
Mali vs Mauritania (SS7, 11 pm LIVE)

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